The present invention is directed to a fishing tip-up device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved fishing tip-up device suitable for use with a traditional fishing pole while ice fishing or shore fishing.
Sport fishing is an extremely popular outdoor activity enjoyed by millions of people in the United States and around the world. Sport fishing provides an opportunity to enjoy nature, to relax among friends and family, and to test one""s understanding of the natural history and habitats of game fish in an effort to catch them. For many years, the most popular method of sport fishing has been fishing on open water (such as streams, lakes, ponds) with a rod and reel configured to cast a lure or bait. Such open water fishing can be conducted from boats, bridges, docks, shore, etc., and normally requires constant vigilance in order to observe whether or not a fish has bit or made a xe2x80x9cstrikexe2x80x9d on the lure or bait.
Although open water angling remains tremendously popular, an additional popular angling method involves fishing on frozen bodies of water, most commonly lakes in upper latitudes, such as the northern portions of North America, Europe, and Asia. In these areas, lakes and other bodies of water are frequently frozen for part of the year, and traditional casting methods are inoperable because of the frozen surface. Fortunately, in many areas the winters are cool enough to produce ice thick enough to support a human, and sometimes thick enough to drive a vehicle and to construct an xe2x80x9cice housexe2x80x9d. In these areas it is possible to cut a hole in the ice from which to xe2x80x9cice fishxe2x80x9d for various game fish, including walleye, northern pike, perch, trout, and various panfish.
Modern fish houses and fishing equipment, including insulated clothing, make it possible to comfortably spend long periods of time outside fishing through the ice. However, it is often desirable when ice fishing to be positioned some distance from your fishing gear. For example, it can be desirable on particularly cold days to drill one or more holes in the ice, to place one or more baited lines (in some jurisdictions two lines are allowed when ice fishing) out to attract and catch fish, and then to wait inside until a fish is attracted to one of the baited lines and makes a xe2x80x9cstrikexe2x80x9d by attempting to swallow the bait. In such situations it is desirable to have a device for identifying that a fish has made a strike, at which point an angler can go to the device and catch the fish if it is secured to the line.
Such devices, also known as xe2x80x9ctip-upsxe2x80x9d, have been used for a number of years by ice fishermen. A variety of tip-up devices are already known which indicate a strike, and certain tip-up devices are known which provide some measure of line control. Unfortunately, many of these devices have very limited functionality. Many tip-ups have very primitive reels that make it difficult to reel in large fish. Some such reels have a direct link to the handle without gearing to allow fast take-up of the line. While some tip-up devices allow for use of a separate rod and reel, these tip-up devices all have limitations that make them less than ideal for ice fishing, or other fishing where a tip-up would be useful, such as in shore fishing. These devices do not allow for sensitive bites and do not adequately allow for free flow of line after a strike has occurred. Such line flow can be critical because it allows the fish to carry off the baited hook without feeling the hook until the hook can be set by the alerted angler.
The present invention provides a simplified and reliable device giving an immediate indication of a strike while simultaneously releasing the fishing line to a free running condition thus giving the striking fish time to run and swallow the baited hook.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic fish tip-up and fish line control. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified fishing rod tip-up attachment which combines an indication of a strike with a simultaneous release of the fishing line. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fishing rod tip-up device which permits the use of a free spool or open bail prior to the strike. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fishing rod tip-up device which resists unintentional release by wind or water movements. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fishing rod tip-up for visual signals.
The present invention is directed to a fishing device useful for indicating when a fish has struck a bait or lure. The invention is directed to a tip-up device for use in identifying a fish strike while angling. In certain implementations, the tip-up device includes a base configured and arranged to retain a removable fishing rod and reel containing fishing line, the base including a means for removably securing a handle of the rod and a means for removably securing the shaft of the rod. The tip-up device also includes a flag, the flag having a shaft with a first end configured to be flexibly secured to the base and a second end distal from the first end. A trigger mechanism is positioned on the base and contains a slot for insertion of the second end of the flag shaft, and a pivoting trip lever configured to releasably secure the fishing line. When the flag is in a first substantially horizontal position the second end of the flag may be placed within the slot of the trigger mechanism. Upon pulling on the fishing line the pivoting trip lever of he trigger mechanism rotates to expel the second end of the flag from the trigger mechanism such that the flag is free to pivot into a substantially vertical position.
In certain implementations of the invention, the means for removably securing the handle of the rod includes a channel into which the rod is placed and an elastic strap configured to be stretched over the channel once the handle has been placed within the channel. The means for removably securing the shaft of the rod may optionally include a channel into which the shaft may be inserted. In certain embodiments the shaft may be removed from the channel by lifting the rod in a vertical direction.
With regard to the flag, it may be joined to the base by a flexible spring. The base may include a peg, and the flag may be removably secured to the base by insertion of the flexible spring over the peg. While the trigger mechanism may include only one slot for insertion of the flag shaft, in certain embodiments it contains a plurality of slots for insertion of the flag shaft.
The pivoting trip lever includes a first end configured to releasably secure the fishing line, a second end configured to expel the second end of the flag from the slots, and a pivot point intermediate the first and second ends in certain embodiments. The line holder optionally comprises a bent piece of spring wire. The bent piece of spring wire has an arc configured to apply pressure to the line in some applications.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment of the present invention. This is the purpose of the figures and the detailed description which follow.